Safety harness for automobiles



Aug 18, 1953 l.. o. MCCARTHY SAFETY HARNESS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 14, 1952 fr f 2 M INVENTOR. ll J! HU/af/vcfO/VC wer/W Arrow/vnf Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY HARNESS FOR AUTOMOBILES Laurence 0. McCarthy, Lakewood, Colo.

Application August 14, 1952, Serial No. 304,322

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a safety belt for automotive Vehicle passengers. The majority oi casualties in automotive vehicle accidents are caused by passengers being thrown forward in their seats and striking their heads on the windshield, instrument board, seat backs, and other obstructions.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a highly enicient shock-absorbing device which can be easily and quickly attached to the back of a conventional automotive seat, and which will act to absorb all shocks tending to throw the user suddenly forward in the car in case of collisions or sudden stops.

Another object of the invention is t-o so construct the device that it will not interfere with any normal movements of the passenger, and yet will operate instantly in case of an emergency.

A further object is to provide a safety buckle for the improved shock absorber which will al low the passenger to instantly release himself from the device to allow quick exit from the vehicle in case of fires and other catastrophes.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and emciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. A

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing: Y

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved shock absorbing device, illustrating it in use;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the shock-absorbing portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical, longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged, horizontal crosssection, taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front View of a quick-releasing buckle employed with the improved shock absorber; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the buckle, taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

A conventional automotive seat is indicated at l0, with its back rest at I I.

The improved shock-absorbing device employs a strong, iiexible strap I2 which branches at its forward extremity in a Y-shape to form two shoulder straps I3 and I4. The shoulder straps I3 and I4 may be joined by means of the quickreleasing buckle of Figs. 5 and 6.

The buckle comprises a rear buckle housing 46, the front of which is closed by means of a buckle cap I5 having belt-receiving tubes 41 in its opposite ends for receiving belt attachment tongues I 6 and I l. The attachment tongue I1 is permanently attached in its tube 4l by means of a suitable attachment rivet I8. The attachment tongue I5 is removable from its tube 4l and is held in place therein by means of a withdrawable latch bolt I9 positioned to engage an opening 56 in the tongue I5. The latch bolt I9 is mounted in the extremity of a flexible leaf spring 2li. The other extremity of the leaf spring is secured in place by means of the attachment rivet I8. A depressible button 2| projects from the buckle cap I5, its projection being limited by means of a surrounding flange 22. rThe button 2I is constantly urged outwardly by the leaf spring 25.

The shoulder strap I3 is attached to the tongue i6 through suitable belt-receiving openings 23 formed therein and the shoulder strap I4 is similarly attached to the tongue Il through similar belt-receiving openings 24.

The shock-absorbing portion of the device is contained within a vertical, channel-shaped, enclosing housing 25. The longitudinal side edges of the housing 25 are hooked, as shown at 26, so that they may slide downwardly in telescopic engagement with hooked skirt flanges 2l formed Y on the vertical side edges of a channel-shaped frame member 26. The frame member 28 is adapted to be attached to the back of the back rest II in a vertical position by means of suit-4 able attachment devices, such as screws 29.

A cylinder tube 36 is iixedly secured in a supporting sleeve 49, which is formed or otherwise mounted on a strap anchor plate 3|. The latter plate acts to anchor the rear extremity of the strap I2 to the frame member 28 through the medium of suitable screws 56. An inner tubular plunger 32 is slidably mounted-in and projects downwardly from the open lower extremity of the cylinder tube 36. The lower extremity of the tubular plunger 32 is closed by means of an inverted, cup-shaped plug 5I. A compression spring 33 constantly urges the tubular plunger 32 from the cylinder tube 35. A self-lubricating sealing sleeve 45 seals the plunger 32 to the cylinder tube 30.

The plug 5I is formed with two downwardly projecting roller brackets 34 which support a lower roller shaft 35. An intermediate roller 35 is mounted on the shaft 35 between the brackets 34 and two iianged side rollers 3l of the same diameter as the roller 36 are mounted The strap I2 extends rearwardly from theY shoulder straps i3 and M about the roller 39, thence downwardly along the back of the housing 25, thence beneath the rollers 35 and 31 and upwardly along the back of the frame member 28 to its xed attachment between vthe strap anchor plate Si and the frame member 28.

The upper extremity of the cylinder tube 3i) is rounded inwardly to a reduced diameter to form a semispherioal terminal pocket having a top air port d2. A freely floating ball 123 is `positioned within the semi-spherical pocket. An annular abutment disc 5d is positioned in an annular retaining ring du in the tube Sil below the ball 43. The upper extremity of the spring 33 acts against the disc 54 to urge the retaining ring l upwardly against a plurality of limiting indentations 52 (preferably three) in the tube 30. The ring lil acts to maintain the spring 33 concentric with 'an axial air opening 55 formed in the disc 5d and also supports an annular cushion lli of rubber or similar cushioning material against which the upper extremity of the tubular plunger 32 may strike at its maximum upward movement. The indentations 52 serve both to limit upward movement of the retaining ring lill and downward movement of the ball t3. The ball `i3 is relatively light, preferably formed of a polyesterine plastic with very thin walls very similar to the well-known ping pong ball. The ball naturally rests below the air port 42, but is free to move upwardly to seal the port should an upsurge of air ow through the axial air opening 55 in the disc Eil.

The roller guide bushings 53 on the projecting extremities of the shaft 35 travel between the skirt flanges 2l of the frame member 28 and longitudinally of indented shoulders M formed in the sides of the housing 25. The shoulders 44 are uniformly spaced from the flanges 21 to form two parallel guide channels for the bushings 53.

The device is installed by attaching the frame member 2S in a substantially vertical position to the back of the back rest li by means of the screws 29. This ixedly attaches the cylinder tube 39, the tubular plunger S2, the rollers 35 and 3l and one extremity of the strap i2 tothe back rest.

The channel-shaped housing is now forced downwardly over the frame member 28 with the hooked side edges 25 of the former sliding beneath the skirt flanges 2l of the latter to the nal position of Fig. 3.

The straps I3 and i4, with the attachment tongues and buckle, are now passed forwardly over the two shoulders of the pasenger, thence each strap is brought rearwardly beneath the arms and across the passengers back, so as to cross each other in an X position, thence forwardly to the front belt line of the passenger. The attachment tongue i5 is then inserted in its belt-receiving tube lil in the buckle. inner extremity of the tongue i5 is formed on The 4 a wedging inclined extremity 48 to facilitate its entrance past the bolt i9 from the path of the tongue until the bolt enters into locking engagement with the opening 55 in the tongue I6. The device is now ready for use.

It will be noted that the user may lean forward, turn and twist with all normal body movements, the only result being compression of the relatively light spring 33, which has only sufficient resistance to maintain the strap i2 taut. However, should a collision or sudden stop occur, the forward inertia of the users body will quickly jerk upon Athe strap i2. This causes immediate compression of the air within the cylinder tube 3Q land the plunger 32, causing the compressed air Yto tend to rush through the air opening 55 in the disc 5d and against the ball @i3 so as to instantly drive the latter into sealing engagement with the top air port 42. T'he inertia of the shock is then absorbed in compressing the air in the two members 3@ and 32 so as to allow the users body to move forwardly at decelerated speed to prevent injurious shock.

When it is desired to detach the straps, it is only necessary to press the buckle button 2i. This immediately withdraws the latch bolt I9 yfrom locking engagement with the tongue l and instantly and completely disengages the user from the device.

While a specic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters 'Patent'si l. A passenger shock-absorbing device for automotive vehicles comprising: a xed cylinder tube; a plunger tube slidably mounted `in and projecting from said cylinder tube; spring means urging said plunger tube from said cylinder tube; a closed outer end in said plunger tube; an air port in the outer end of said cylinder tube; a hollow, semispherical extremity on said Vfixed tube in which said port is positioned; a freely floating ball in said extremity positioned to move against and close Said port in consequence of the movement of air toward said port; a strap aiiixed at its one extremity to said xed cylinder tube and passing about the closed outer end of said plunger tube to urge the latter into said fixed tube; and means for attaching said strap to a passenger.

2. A passenger shock-absorbing device as described in claim 1 having an annular ring in said fixed tube positioned between the interior of said latter tube and said ball, said ring having an axial air passage adapted to direct air against said ball to urge the latter against said port.

3. A passenger shock-absorbing device as described in claim l having a first roller device mounted on the closed outer end ofV said plunger tube; and a second roller device fixed adjacent the outer end of said cylinder tube, said strap passing about both said roller devices and acting when drawn upon to draw the rst roller device toward the second roller device.

4. A passenger shock-absorbing device as described inclaim 3 having two shoulder straps extending from said 1first strap; a buckle device secured on the extremity of one shoulder strap; a belt attachment tongue secured ron the extremity of the other shoulder strap, there being a passage in said buckle device for the reception of said tongue; a latch member in said buckle device positioned to engage and retain said tongue in place; and a releasing button positioned to actuate said latch member to withdraw the latter from said tongue.

5. A passenger shock-absorbing device as described in claim 4 in which the latch member consists of a leaf spring secured to said buckle device at its one extremity; and a plug mounted on said spring adjacent its other extremity and adapted to engage an opening in said tongue,

said button being positioned to engage and flex said leaf spring.

LAURENCE O. MCCARTHY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,477,433 Engel Dec. 11, 1923 0 2,195,334 Lethern Mar. 26, 1940 2,236,560 Bancroft Apr. 1, 1941 `2,622,664: Koehler et al Dec. 23, 1952 

